Wagon-body



T. GEISBL.

WAGON BODY.

(No Model.)

No. 556,345. Patented Mar. 1'7, 1896.

{Em/unto:

Gtbozwzv wiltmwwa M UNITED STATES ATENT rrrcn.

TllEODOR GEISEL, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

WAGON-BODY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,345, dated March 17, 1896. Application filed October 9, 1893. Serial No. 37,695. (NomodeL) T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODOR GnIsEL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Springfield, in the county of I-Iampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in lVagons, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and letters of reference marked thereon, in which drawings, like letters of reference indicating like parts- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved construction. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end View, in section, of the frame. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a portion of the tail-board, and Fig. 5 is an elevation of a section of the rear end portion of one side of the box-body.

In detail, a indicates a piece of angle-iron forming the exterior framework of the base of the body.

1) indicates flat longitudinal strips of iron extending from end to end. 0 indicates boards arranged transversely to said strips.

(Z indicates the side walls of the box-body; e, the tail-board; f, a hasp pivoted thereon; g, a staple; h, steps formed by a portion of the angle-iron a projecting forward of the body; 2', strengthening-ribs extending vertically along the. side walls of the body and horizontally across and below the same; j, strengtheningrods arranged upon the interior face of the sides of the box-body, and Z indicates angle-iron arranged at the top of the walls of the box.

The object of my invention is to provide a construction of box-body which will be sufficiently strong and rigid for heavy teaming without the employment of wood of such size as to render the device cumbersome, and to provide a body which will not become readily weakened by decay and which will not spring or sag, and a body which will combine the requisite strength with the least weight, and I accomplish the objects of my invention by the construction herein shown.

The lower portion of the framework of the box-bod y is made of angle-iron a, and a single piece may be used to form the front end portion and the side portions, or separate pieces maybe employed for that purpose. Similarlyshaped angle-iron Z is provided at the top t. 8., the angle-iron strips Z at the top are shaped like the strips a, but are inverted and strips 1) b are firmly riveted in position and I extend the whole length of the box or body.

The strengthening ribs or straps t are bent to conform to the exterior shape or outline of the body and are secured to the side walls, follow the outlines of the angle-iron a and extend across the bottom of the body and up wardly upon the opposite side and are secured in position by rivets or bolts.

The inner strengthenin g-rodsj pass through the angle-iron at the top and bottom, and the lower ends of these rods are threaded and provided with nuts, and if wooden material be employed for the sides the slack occasioned by its shrinking may be taken up by screwing up on these nuts, thus forming a structure wherein the weight is in part borne by the edgewise strain on the sides, and if metal sides be used the same result is attained. I am thus enabled to employ the material forming the side walls as a strengthening or weightsupporting means as well as sides to the box.

I prefer in many instances that the sides of the lower frame be constructed of independent pieces of angle-iron, each secured at the front end to a piece of angle-iron forming the front end portion of the frame, and I prefer that the vertical portion of the angle-iron at the front end of the side pieces be out for a short distance from the horizontal portion and bent to project at right angles, forming a tongue which is riveted to the angle-iron forming the end of the frame, and that the horizontal portion from which the vertical portion was-cut be allowed to project forward to serve as a step, as indicated at h.

The tail-board is strengthened with suitable strips atv the top and bottom and at the bottom is provided with a threaded stud at each side, which studs pass through suitable openings in the vertical portion of the angleiron a, and a nut holds the same in position, thus avoiding tendency of spreading at this point.

The boards 0 are arranged to extend from side to side of the box and are riveted seeurely to the angle-iron and to the longitudinal piece I) b, or may be secured in position in any other manner.

At each side of the tail-board near the top I arrange a pivotal hasp f, to engage the staple g, mounted upon the side walls of the box, with which it engages in the ordinary manner, and to facilitate its being brought into position I extend the hasp a considerable distance beyond the staple-receiving opening in it and form the extended portion in a handle, thus forming a powerful lever by which I am enabled to readily overcome the common tendency of the sides of a box to separate and thus prevent the easy closing and fastening of the tail-board. With this lever at each side, however, it becomes an easy matter to spring in the sides to their normal position.

The runninggear may be of any usual form of construction.

The box may be of anyheight and may be provided with a top rail if desired.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination in a wagon-body of angle-iron longitudinal pieces with one member projecting horizontally and one member projecting upwardly, side boards resting in the angles with the lowerportion of the outer faces of the side boards resting against the inner faces of the upwardly-projecting members of the angle-irons and binding-straps i with their end portions secured to the outer faces of the sides said straps being bent around the angle-irons and extending across the bottom, substantially as shown.

2. The combination in a wagon-body, of a frame having its sides and one end formed of angle-iron with one member projecting horizontally within and beyond the side plates and one member upwardly, side plates cl resting in the angles of said pieces, angle-irons mounted on the top of the plates (1 with one member projecting downwardly and one member projecting inwardly beyond the top of the plates d, and tie-bars connecting the portions of the flanges, projecting within the side plates, of the top and bottom angle-irons, with the sides therebetween, substantially as shown.

3. The combination in a wagon-body of upwardly-projeeting angle-iron pieces a downwardly-projecting angle-iron pieces Z, sides (Z therebetween, tie-rods j extending from the top to the bottom angle-irons, and strips i with their end portions secured to the sides and extending across the bottom and following the angle-irons and bottom substantially as shown.

4. The combination in a wagon-body of side pieces a of angle-iron having the front end horizontal portions projecting beyond the box to form a step and the front end vertical portions cut and bent away from its first position, thus forming a flange to which the crosstie is riveted, substantially as shown.

5. In a wagon-body, the combination, with the bottom boards and side boards of the body, of angle-plates placed against the outer surfaces of the bottom boards and side boards at their abutting edges, angle -plates resting upon the upper edges of the side boards, the horizontal side of both upper and lower a11- gle-plates extending Within the inner surface of the side boards, and tie-bars connecting the inwardly-projecting flanges or the upper and lower angleplates, substantially as described.

6. The combination in a wagon-body of a lower frame portion formed of an gle-iron having its Vertical member extending upwardly, within and to which vertical members are secured the sides of the wagon-body and having the vertical members of the side angleirons cut from the horizontal portion at the front end thereof, leaving the horizontal portion projecting in advance of the box to form a step, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

7. The combination in a wagon-body of a lower frame formed at its sides and front end of angle-iron, a tail-board adapted to fill the space between the sides and pivotally mount ed to the side angle-irons at the end thereof and two locking-levers f pivotally mounted at the sides of the tail-board near the top, each lever being provided with a staple-receiving opening and a latch, and extended in rounded form a distance beyond the stapleopening greater than the distance from the pivotal point to the staple-opening whereby a powerful compressing-lever is formed on each side of the box, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

THEODOR GEISEL. lVitnesses:

ALLEN WEBSTER, ERNEST Gnnrom). 

